Spring suspension



E. FAVARY.

SPRING SUSPENSION. Awucmou FILED JUNE 22. I915.

1,381,624. PatntedJune 14,1921

ETHELBERT FAVARY, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPRING SUSPENSION.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 14 1921 Application filed June 22, 1915. Serial No. 35,516.

ful improvements in connection with springs used for automobiles and other horseless or horse-drawn vehicles or cars, and consists essentially in the employment of a suspension in connection with the ordinary leaf spring or coil springs, so arranged that for a small deflection or depression of the spring a large amount of give or cushion is obtained.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanymg drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side view of two short vertical springs as applied to an automobile, and Fig. 2 a sideview of a different form of spring in connection with my invention, while Fig. 1 shows a modified form of connecting bars, and Fig. 1 a construction similar to Fig. 1, except that practically one side of that structure is eliminated.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Fig. 1 shows two short cantaliver springs m connected by the bars (Z hinged in the center to the axle b and the axle housing 71:. If desired d may be a pliable band or belt ing or may be composed of flexible chainlinks orany other suitable material. As noted from this figure, the weight of the body of the car with passengers will normally depress it to the position shown. If, however, the car meets an obstruction, the center of axle b will be forced upward, say to a. While this distance is comparatively large, the spring will only be deflected from center 6 to 0, and thus a very small deflection of the spring will permit a large amount of upward movement to the axle, i. e. a large amount of cushioning or spring effect; hence the spring m could be made short and stiff, a small flexure to 0 sufficing for the proper springing of the car. It should be noted, however, if the point e is moved still farther, say from 0 to p, which is equal to the diswhich intersect at g.

tance from c to 0, the center of b will be ralsed only from n, to g, which may be only half the initialmovement to n, and is an advantage in that if large obstructions are encountered by the wheels, the additional deflection will be reduced, thus preventing the breakage of spring, and excessive rebounds.

This system thus has the advantage that when the load is first applied the stresses exerted on the springs being approximately at an angle of 90, the springs will be more sensitive to light loads, whereas when the frame is depressed so that 1; reaches point it any additional load on the springs will reduce the angle between spring and suspension, hence the force acting on the spring will be at a more acute angle,thus requiring a much greater pull for a small additional give of the spring than when the spring is in its normal position, In other words at light loads, the force or pull on the leaves of the springs can be at right angles, while the more the springs are flexed the smaller becomes this angle.

With the springs in common use at present, it is found that they are much less comfortable at light loads than at full loads. In the present invention this effect can be adjusted within reasonable limits, making the springs more resilient at light loads, if desired, as circumstances may require.

1' represents a circle drawn from the center 0 with the radius 6b, while the same radius with center p makes the circles s, t represents a circle drawn from the center a with radius ue.

. Instead of using two springs m as shown in Fig. 1 and two suspension bars 03, the spring and the suspension bar on either side may be eliminated without sacrificing the advantages of the construction shown in Fig. 1. However, when using but one spring and one suspension bar (either on the left side or on the right side of the axle) it is necessary to have some kind of radius rod, thrust rod or torque rod like that employed commonly on automobiles. Fig. 1 shows a construction with one spring at and one suspen-' sion rod d, while (Z may be employed to perform the functions of radius rod, thrust rod and torque rod.

This system in the same straight line, the pull on the spring, for a given upward pressure 1s comof spring suspension is self regulating in that as th bars d are normally" paratively large, while the more the bars are deflected, z. e. the smaller the angle w, the less is this pull on the spring. If desired, instead of hinging the bars (Z on a common center 6, I may use a double joint as shown in Fig. 1 at o. If cZ-d are bars-a construction which I now think preferablethe driving stresses and the torque of an automobile will be more advantageously absorbed, since it will permit a slight movement of the wheels forward or backward. when starting and braking or upon striking. an obstruction. V d

Another advantage of the construction shown in Fig. 1 is that the weight of the spring is removed from the axle. The angle I 40 between the spring m and suspension bar (Z, may be of any desired degree. The spring may be constructed to originally assume the dotted positions 00, and the ends be brought toward each other when connecting them with the suspension bars at. If desired some means may be provided for preventing the springs from assuming their original position w, when the suspension bars (Z are withdrawn; this can easily be done by tyingthe spring in. position with stays y or by any other suitable means. This may be found useful'to prevent excessive rebounds of the bodyof the car. These ties 3 might also be used to limit the movement of the springs in their reversed direction. It is understood,.of course, that instead of having the springs as short as shown inFig. 1, any suitable kind of spring may be employed. If necessary it may be a regular type of cantaliver spring, or helical springs may be found advantageous under certain conditions. The springs, instead of being fastened; to the chassis at 4 by spring hangers or the like as shown, may be fastened to any convenient part of the car, and the stays or straps 3 may simply be used to tie the spring together at 2, 2'. e. the stays will be connected from point 2 of one spring to 2 on the other spring, in which case they will both act in retarding the forward andbackward movements of the wheel in connection with the chassis by their flexure, i. 6. they will slightly bend forward or backward together.

If desired I may use any convenient means for tensioning the springs, for instance as shown at 8 in Fig. 1. Here a screw is used to force the spring outward, which would serve to tension the same. To make the tensioning means more 'efl ective, it may be found advisable, instead of fastening the springs rigidly to th frame as shown at 4, to have them attached to the frame by a swivel as shown dotted at 9. By looking at Fig. 1, it is seen that when the axle is deflected, that is to say, when the axle moves toward the frame, the center ofthe spring eye moves in a substantially direct line toward the axle, and as the entire spring length flexes in the direction of the axle, (as the axle moves upward, practically the flexure of th entire spring is in an upward direction) therefore, a maximum axle deflection is obtained with a minimum of spring deflection; this makes possible the use of a shorter spring and a lighter spring. A lighter spring and a spring which deflects the least for a given axle deflection, results in a more sensitive spring, and it requires less energy to deflect said spring on account of its lighter weight. It is also seen that the distance between the points of attachment of the springs to the frame is comparatively great. J i

It should be noted, that, although the suspension member may be composed of pliable or flexible material,when the suspension member is in its normal position, 2'. 6. when a load is resting on it, it is under longitudinal tension, and does not flex or bend; in other words the suspension member is inflexible under longitudinal tension.

It should further be noted that in myinvention the suspension member cl, as disclosed in all the figures, is not merelya short spring shackle as usually employed for the purpose of attaching the springstructure to one of the parts to be cushioned, but it is sufliciently long with respect to the spring length to render possible a large amount of cushion for a small spring flexure.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: 1. In a vehicle, a spring suspension supporting the load and comprising a substantially horizontal suspension member inflexible under longitudinal tension and connected to one part to be cushioned and a substantially vertical spring structure having one end connected to the suspension member and having the other end connected to the other part to be cushioned, the other end of the suspension member being supported from the frame. v

2. In a vehicle, a spring suspension supporting the load and comprising a rigid substantially horizontal suspension member connected to one part to be cushioned, and a. substantially vertical spring structure having one end connected to the suspension member and having the other end connected to the other part'to be cushioned, the other end of the suspension member being supported from the frame.

3. In a vehicle, a spring suspension sup porting the load and comprising a suspension member inflexible under longitudinal tension and connected to one part to be cushioned, and a substantially vertical spring structure having one end connected 1 cushioned, the spring structure and suspension member extending at substantially right angles to each other at a pre-determined load, slightly greater than right angles at a lighter load and slightly less than right angles at a heavier load, the other end of the suspension member being supported from the frame.

4. In a vehicle, a spring suspension supporting the load and comprising a substantially horizontal suspension member inflexible under longitudinal tension and connected to one part to be cushioned, two substantially. vertical springs rigidly connected to the other part to be cushioned and to the suspension member, and means for limiting reverse flexure of the springs under normal running conditions.

5. In a vehicle, a spring suspension su porting the, load and comprising two su stantially vertical spring members rigidly connected to one part to be cushioned at separated points thereof, and a substantially horizontal suspension member inflexible under longitudinal tension and connecting the other ends of the spring members to the other part to be cushioned.

6. In a vehi le, a spring suspension sup porting the load and comprising a suspension member inflexible under longitudinal tension and connected to one part to be cushioned, two substantially vertical spring members connecting the other ends of the suspension member to separated points of the other part to be cushioned, the spring members extending at substantially right angles to the suspension member at a predetermined load, slightly greater than right angles at a lighter load and slightly less than right angles at a heavier load.

7. In a vehicle, a spring suspension supporting the load and comprising a substantially horizontal suspension member inflexible under longitudinal tension and connected to one part to be cushioned, and a spring structure connected to the cushioned and to the suspension member, the construction and arrangement being such that substantially the entire length of the spring flexes in the direction of the axle deflection.

8. In a spring support for vehicle frames, the combination of an axle, a vehicle frame, a pair of widely spaced spring hangers rigidly mounted thereon, a pair of leaf springs secured to said hangers and extendother part to bev ing downwardly therefrom, the lower ends of said springs being on opposite sides of said axle and in substantially horizontal alinement therewith, and a pair of suspension members pivotally connecting the lower ends of said springs to said axle, the spacing between the spring hangers being greater than the difference in elevation between the axle and the frame.

9. In a spring support for vehicle frames, the combination of an axle, a vehicle frame, a pair of independent leaf-springs secured to said frame and extending downwardly on opposite sides of said axle, and a pair of suspension members pivotally connecting the lower ends of said springs to said axle, the said pair of leaf springs being rigidly secured to the frame at widely separated points for the purpose described.

10. In a spring support for vehicle frames, the combination'of a frame, a pair of leaf springs extending at substantially right angles therefrom, a movable element disposed between the outer ends of said springs and suspension members pivoted .to sai movable element and said outer ends of said springs.

11. In a vehicle, a frame, and axle, a spring supporting structure comprising suspension members inflexible under longitudinal tension and connected to the axle, and two springs connected at their upper ends to the frame at separated points thereof and connected at their lower ends to the respective ends of the suspension members below the level of their attachment to the axle, the spacing between the upper ends of the springs being such, that substantially the entire spring flexes in the direction of the axle deflection under normal running conditions of the vehicle.

12. In a vehicle suspension, two initially strained springs rigidly fixed to the frame at widely separated points, a member attached to the axle, and a pair of tension members pivotally secured at their ends to the axle member and to the ends of the springs respectively.

Signed at 7 34 5th Ave, New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 21st day of June, A. D. 1915.

ETHELBERT FAVARY.

Witnesses:

CoNsonLo DE LEON, WILLIAM DOWN. 

